Liberal democracy

way in which a government deals with other governments and is typically a reflection of that nation’s interest or the values of the people. For this reason, there is often quite a lot of debacle over foreign policy, changing when there is either a liberal or a conservative administration. There are two primary approaches to dealing with foreign policy, realism and idealism. Realism is the idea that national interest and safety is put above moral principles whereas idealism is the idea that…

There are three main schools of thought in International Relations and they are realism, liberalism, and constructivism. Liberalism is the paradigm that in short, holds the belief that emphasizes the importance of the international institutions that would serve to check relations with other international state actors. Realism stems from the notion that in this anarchic international stage, each state is out to better itself and the only way to survive is to gain more power. Constructivism is a…

Most Americans, when asked, would probably say that we live in a democracy of some variety. In a 2003 Gallup poll that surveyed 1008 Americans, 70% said they were either satisfied or very satisfied with the way democracy words in the country (Gallup 2003). Historically, apart from the multi-decade interlude known as the Gilded Age, the system of governance in the United States could most aptly be described as a democratic republic. Under a democratic republic, ordinary citizens elect…

not the health of Australia’s liberal democracy necessitating a two party system is debated academically. In this essay it is argued that a two party system is not essential thus the opposing proposition not confirmed by the result of the election. Relevant and contemporary arguments are presented in support of the premise that a hung parliament is of benefit to the health of Australia’s liberal democracy. First, academic definitions of Australia’s liberal democracy and tow party system are…

Essay Question: Why might ethnic diversity pose a challenge to democracy? How might this challenge be overcome so as to produce a stable and sustainable democracy? Support your answer with evidence from two countries. Word Count: 1083 words Democracy is where a state is controlled by a representative government that is voted for by the adult population every few years or so. Ethnic diversity is the “…co-existence of diverse cultures, where culture includes racial, religious or cultural groups”…

The Struggle for Democracy: An Analysis of the Arab Spring On December 17, 2010, a solitary act of protest ignited a fire that would engulf the Islamic world, and usher in a period of democratic struggle that would radically change the political landscape of the Middle East. In her book, Rock the Casbah author Robin Wright clearly correlates the comprehensive struggle for democracy in the Middle East with this single act of protest, the self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi in Tunisia, as the…

studied in class, I would argue that the best way to move out of an authoritarian regime is an actor-centered pacted transition. During this essay, I will first discuss three reasons why an actor-centered pacted transition is the best transition to democracy. I will then conclude with how these three reasons combined make this type of transition the best. The first reason why an actor-centered pacted transition is the best way to move from an authoritarian regime is that it is largely…

States already has been trying to spread the principles of democracy for a while now. It is a major foreign policy goal that we exercise regularly, and for the most part I’m okay with the U.S. spreading it. When I think of democracy I think of it more than just the typical political sense of being able to vote for our leaders. It is our social ideals, economic structure, and so much more. And I think promoting it and spreading democracy involves promoting different humanitarian ideals and human…

While the U.S. prides itself on being one of the world’s oldest and fairest democracies, the reality is that the American political system is full of anachronisms that have been excised in other democracies. For example, the antiquated American system of first-past-the-post voting, which prevents third parties from gaining any headway against the Republicans or Democrats, has been rectified with proportional voting systems in countries like Sweden and the Netherlands. Similarly, our system of…

In reality, achieving the common good in a representative democracy that is so diverse will not prosper; there will always be a subculture part of society that will disagree. We believe that although politicians do whatever they can in the public’s best interest, achieving the common good is not a realistic goal that many can achieve. It is not an idealistic goal for a diverse society to achieve the common good, because social issues such as human behaviour, government policies, religious…